After eight weeks of growing their sprouts indoors, the potatoes finally went into the ground today.  I had left a polythene sheet over the target raised bed for most of March, to warm up the ground.  I also mixed in some potato fertiliser, so that has had a few weeks to dissolve into the nice warm soil.

The two varieties are Charlotte, a second early, and Maris Piper as a maincrop.  The sprouts or ‘chits’ had just about reached the right size at 1-2cm so in they went. There’s a good six inches of space for more soil in this bed, so earthing up the plants as they grow should work well.

The most important thing now is to make it clear which is which.  When the Charlottes are ready to lift, the maincrops will still have growing to do so I want to be sure I pick the earlies without disturbing the Maris Pipers. How handy these black plastic labels are …

With good friable soil, the potatoes were easy to plant. And in the adjacent beds I was reminded just how easy it is to grow vegetables. The seeds and seedlings really do most of the work for us, pushing their shoots up through the soil and basking in the energy-giving sunshine.

Broad beans and onions both had new green growth above ground, which is a delight to see.

A special treat was to be found in the herb bed today. I thought my tarragon plant had perished in the winter. However, with a fleece cover, the twiggy remains managed to survive and there’s now beautiful lush growth of my favourite herb.

A good and enjoyable day that was, with more to come as the weather warms up.